How to update your home for autumn

It happened so quickly, but summer is officially over and we’re right into autumn. Yesterday marked the official first day of the season, and this weekend is the perfect opportunity to do some easy household checks to ensure your home is prepared for this time of year.

• Flip your mattress/clean your bed: flipping your mattress helps distribute the wear and will prolongs its lifecycle, so a change of season is a great time to give it a flip. You may also want to give your bed a deep clean and change your linens (if you have an extra set).
• Check your roof: it’s a good idea to get rid of any issues with a roof now before cold, wet weather approaches and you’re left with a leaky roof. Check your gutters for pieces of shingle, and repair areas that need it. Sometimes an inspection is needed, so consult a professional if you’re unsure.
• Check your windows: when you check your windows you want to be looking for cracks, and check stripping for damage. You’ll want to fix any areas where water or air can leak through, it will only cost you more money once the colder months hit. Caulk anywhere that needs to be resealed, and besides your windows you might want to check vents as well that lead to the outside. Weather stripping is found on a lot of windows, and you won’t be able to repair this if it’s damaged, just replaced it.
• Check your doors: you’ll be looking for similar issues on your exterior doors as your windows, areas where there are cracks or places where air and water can seep through. These areas are larger entrances for cold outside air and moisture to get in, so check all your doors thoroughly, and similar to windows, replace or repair caulking and weather stripping.
• Clean the gutters and eavestroughs: take out the ladder and clean your gutters of dirt and debris, as falling leaves and snow will build up and you want to be ready for coming seasons. Plus, water is a home’s worst enemy, so ensuring that it has somewhere to flow away from your home is always key. Built-up debris in a gutter is also an easy nest for critters to hide in.
• Clean and store patio furniture: we know it’s sad, but you’ll want to give your patio furniture a good cleaning before you stow it away for the fall and winter.
• Clean light fixtures and ceiling fans: it doesn’t take long for dust to pile up on ceiling fans when they aren’t in use during the colder months, so start the season off clean with dust-free fans. While you’re cleaning the ceiling fans in your home, it’s a great opportunity to give your light fixtures a good dusting too. Dust in the home just makes for nasty allergens that can be a real problem come cold and flu season.
• Shut-off outside valves: be sure you seal off your outdoor taps and faucets, you don’t want to risk a pipe bursting once colder weather hits. All faucets that exit a home have a shut-off valve located indoors, so know where that is and shut it off.
• Clean your furnace: clean and inspect your furnace to make sure it’s in good working condition so it’s good to pump warmer air throughout your home once that brisker air sets in.

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